Is history boring? It can be. There is so much of it to delve into. When we are looking for fulfilled prophecy the puzzle could be considered one of those huge jigsaw puzzles. Read this little fact-
"They assembled a 551,232-piece puzzle on September 24, 2011, scoring the record for the most pieces in a finished jigsaw puzzle.Apr 24, 2020"
Did you note that number?! 551,232 pieces! Imagine putting that jigsaw puzzle together! When it comes to prophecy's puzzle pieces there can be just as many pieces, the possibility exists there are even many more than that.
Our God gave us the sure word of prophecy-
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
A sure word of prophecy. And the proof that all of mankind today has is so much history to study against prophecy. Piece after piece of prophecy met in our history. Yet so few care at all. I wonder if we were to take some sort of poll how many people could answer, "Yes." When questioned whether or not they know what all of the Statue in Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic dream means. What percentage would even know there was a dream statue? Seriously, where is the desperation for knowledge of Biblical prophecy and its meaning?
Proof. Do you want proof of the authenticity of God's word? Study prophecy.
I've heard so many twisted beliefs about the Bible, so many. From its being a fable constructed to control people to it being a man-made book that simple men put together- leaving out a lot of other Biblical books, and putting in only what suited them. What's true is, there was a council that did construct what we know today as the New Testament. They did leave out books that are even mentioned in the books they left in. What is also true is, God GUIDED man through the HOLY SPIRIT to put together the word of God that we have today. All we need to know the Gospel of Salvation and the truth of God is in the Bible in what I personally perceive to be the closest translated into English- the KJV. There are many versions and even the KJV has its flaws in translation. To study it very deeply is to be a scholar of Hebrew and Greek. God has given us all we need to know to be His if we choose to know Him.
I am very far from being a Biblical scholar, and yet, by the grace of God I have been allowed to see the truth of His word. I've read the prophecies, I've read where they've come to pass, and NOTHING can stop the rest of the prophecy from coming to pass, nothing! This huge jigsaw puzzle has many, many pieces set in their place with a finite number of pieces left until that glorious day of our Savior's return and the ushering in of life as it was meant to be, and will be.
You can take the 100 piece prophecy puzzle and get a grand overview. You can take the 1000 piece puzzle and get much more detail You can even opt to piece together the 5000 piece puzzle and have an extraordinary detail of prophecy. Or go for the 1,000,000 pieces and get all the facts you can. These in-depth Bible studies that span weeks and months to complete are the larger puzzle with many, many pieces, many facts and we can choose to study them or ignore them, it's a choice that we alone can make.
God help us to KNOW HIM FULLY, to KNOW HIM COMPLETELY, to LOVE HIM, to LET HIM LOVE US. May we forever be HIS! All through Jesus Christ our LORD AND SAVIOR, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!
*******
CHAPTER X. "ANOTHER LITTLE HORN."
In the year 540 b. c., just sixty-three years after the dream of Nebuchadnezzar was given and interpreted, Daniel had a vision, which is recorded in the seventh chapter of his prophecy. In this vision he saw the four winds of Heaven striving upon the great sea, and four great beasts came up from the sea. In verses 17, 18, an explanation of the beasts is given as follows:--
"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever."
These words show that this vision embraces the same great facts that are presented in the dream of the king, namely, four great kingdoms to be followed by a kingdom that the saints shall possess forever. Then the object of this vision is the same as that of the dream, to acquaint us with the facts of history preceding, and leading to, the setting up of the kingdom of God.
Verse 4. "The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings; I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it."
The lion is called the king of beasts, and it bears about the same relation to the other beasts that gold bears to the other metals of the image of chapter 2. "Eagle's wings" adds something to the same quality, denoting the rapidity with which the empire rose to its wonderful greatness in the seventh century before Christ. But its wings were plucked, and the lion's heart was taken away. We must bear in mind that this beast, as the head of gold of the image, represented the empire of Babylon, and not any one emperor or king. The glory of the kingdom declined from the days of Nebuchadnezzar--so transitory is the glory of this world. Under the reign of Belshazzar there was left the qualities of neither the lion nor the eagle.
Verse 5. "And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh."
This is a strikingly correct representation of the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians, the same as the breast and arms of the image. In chapter 8, the kings of Media and Persia are represented by a ram (compare Dan. 8:3, 4, 20), having two horns, and one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. The Medes were the leading power in the war against Babylon; for Cyrus, the real leader of the armies, gave himself entirely to the service of his uncle, "Darius the Median," who took the kingdom when the city of Babylon was overthrown. Of Darius but little need be said, except that he was ruler over a mighty empire that was presented to him by his nephew, for he gave no evidence of capability of subduing such an empire to himself. "The higher came up last." The Persian branch of the empire flourished under Cyrus, who was really one of the greatest generals that profane history presents to us; not merely because he could lead great armies, and subdue kingdoms, but he was lenient to his captives, considerate of the comfort and welfare of his soldiers and confederates, and just towards all. He went forth to war, not from a love of conquest, or because of indifference for human life, but in defense of the rights of those who were assailed. Added to all this, in his personal habits he was a model of temperance and benevolence. How well the bear represented the united houses of the Medes and Persians--it raised up itself on one side.
In describing the symbol of this kingdom in Daniel 8, the prophet said he saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward. These are the directions in which the Medes and Persians pursued their conquests; and the three ribs in the mouth of the bear doubtless denote the same thing.
Verse 6. "After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads and dominion was given to it."
The leopard represents the third great kingdom, the same as the body of brass of the image, or the rough goat in chapter 8,--the kingdom of Grecia. There is a twofold symbol to denote the speed with which Alexander conquered the world, namely, the body of a leopard, with four wings of a fowl. The love of conquest was his ruling passion. Merely to gratify a senseless ambition, he made war without cause or provocation, upon those who would gladly have remained in peace with him. Seneca said: "Alexander, who is justly entitled the plunderer of nations, made his glory consist in carrying desolation into all places, and in rendering himself the terror of mankind." See Rollin, Book 15, sec. 18. It seems a reflection on humanity to give such a man the title of "the Great." To fully appreciate the description given in Daniel 7:7, it is necessary to notice further the symbol of Grecia in Dan 8:5-9. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes, which, the angel said, was the first king, that is, Alexander. "The he goat waxed very great; and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven."
The kingdom of Alexander had suffered no decline when he died. He was in the full tide of, victory, not having had time to prepare for himself a capital, when he fell, slain not in war, but by his depraved and ungovernable appetite,--broken in his strength. And for it came up four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven. The angel said, "Four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but in his power." Dan. 8:22.
Alexander died b. c. 323. His death was sudden and unexpected, he being in the prime of life; and no provision had been made for a successor. There were many aspirants for power, among the chief of whom was Antigonus. Lyman, in his Historical Chart, has given a view of the kingdom after the death of Alexander, in a few forcible words:--
"The empire was divided into thirty-three governments, distributed among as many general officers. Hence arose a series of bloody, desolating wars, and a period of confusion, anarchy, and crime ensued, that is almost without a parallel in the history of the world. After the battle of Ipsus, 301 b. c., in which Antigonus was defeated, the empire was divided into four kingdoms--Thrace and Bythinia under Lysimachus; Syria and the East under Seleucus; Egypt under Ptolemy Soter; and Macedonia under Cassander."
Two points are worthy of remark in this symbol and its fulfillment: (1) The prophecy takes no note whatever of this period of anarchy and confusion. It was a period of internal dissensions, in which there was neither time nor opportunity to establish kingdoms on anything like a permanent footing. (2) The four kingdoms which arose toward the four winds of heaven are considered but parts of the same Grecian kingdom. They are no doubt regarded a continuation of the same dominion because the four kings named entered into agreement to divide the kingdom among themselves; they reigned by mutual consent, and not in opposition to one another. This is marked in Dan. 7:6, by the simple expression, "The beast had also four heads."
Verse 7. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns."
The likeness of the fourth kingdom, represented by the legs of the image in chapter 2, is readily seen in this beast. The fourth kingdom of iron was to be stronger than those preceding it; so this beast was strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth. "As iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things, and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise," was said of the fourth kingdom, represented by the legs of the image; and so of this beast: "It devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it."
And it had ten horns, which are said in verse 24 to be ten kings that shall arise. These ten kings were represented by the feet and toes of the image,--the ten kingdoms rising out of the Roman empire when it was broken up by its invaders from the north and northeast. Thus far the facts presented in the vision of these four beasts are identical with those of the image in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 2:43 says of these ten kingdoms, "They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another." This shows that these kingdoms were not smitten by the stone as soon as they arose; there must be a time for the mingling--for efforts at consolidation, for changes to take place-- before the kingdom and dominion shall be given to the saints of the Most High.
This statement in chapter 2:43, in regard to their mingling, and yet not cleaving to one another, contains but a faint hint of all the changes which should take place before the closing scenes. The same idea is presented in verse 34.
After the image was presented complete, Daniel said: "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out," etc.; as if he continued to observe the image until the stone appeared. And we shall see that each succeeding vision, whether of Daniel or John, contains some additional events to precede the setting up of the kingdom of God, and the destruction of all the nations and kingdoms of this world. The additional facts in chapter 7 are principally brought to view in--
Verse 8. "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."
In all the Scriptures a horn is the symbol of power, without regard to the nature of the power. And there was an extraordinary power rising into notice just at the time when Western Rome was broken into these fragments or kingdoms.
Verse 24 says, "He shall be diverse from the first." And this was diverse from the others in that it arose as a religious, a professedly Christian, power. Although it arose as a little horn, so that it did not at first take its place among the kingdoms of the earth, it became very strong, for its "look was more stout than its fellows."
And it is so well known that it passes without proof, that the Romish Church kingdom became stronger than the strongest kingdoms of the earth. The heads of this system, the popes of Rome, claimed it as their right to rule over the kings, and to absolve subjects from their allegiance
to any king who refused submission to their will. On this point Professor Gaussen, of Geneva, gave the following pointed and truthful testimony:--
"Daniel tells us (verse 20) that though this horn was the least, his 'look was more stout than his fellows.' The pomps of Charlemagne, Charles V., Louis XIV., and Bonaparte were very great; but were they comparable to that of the Roman pontiff? The greatest kings must hold his stirrup, serve him at table (what do I say?) must prostrate themselves before him, and kiss his feet; and even put their necks under his proud foot. Go yet this year to view him in the Vatican, as I myself have done. You will see hanging in the royal hall, where all the ambassadors of Europe pass, a picture representing the great emperor, Henry IV., uncovered before Gregory VII. You will see in another picture the heroic and powerful emperor Frederick Barbarossa upon his knees and elbows, before Pope Alexander III., in the public square of Venice; the foot of the pope rests on his shoulder; his scepter cast to the ground; and under the picture, these words: 'Frederick, a suppliant, adores, promising faith and obedience.' You must see with your own eyes this priest-king in his palaces and temples, to form an idea of his pomps, and to understand the full meaning of these words of Daniel: 'His look was more stout than his fellows.' What Eastern king was ever borne like him upon men's shoulders, decked with the plumes of the peacock? Incense is burnt before him as before an idol; they kneel on both knees before him; they kiss the soles of his feet; they worship him." Lecture in Geneva College, 1843.
Such was his rise, and such is his appearance. "And before whom three [kings] fell." All who are acquainted with the history, religious and secular, of the fourth and fifth centuries, are aware that the Arian controversy was the leading cause of dispute, not only in the churches and councils, but among kings. The Gothic kings were Arians; and in those days the people professed the faith of their kings. But the Church of Rome was the representative of the Trinitarian faith. This faith was indorsed by the Council of Nice, where the primacy was conferred upon the bishop of Rome. This forever bound the bishop of that see to that faith. The primacy and the doctrine of the Trinity were inseparable. That church was the chief support of what was then called the orthodox faith, while the Goths were held to be heretics.
The Heruli, under Odoacer, who were also Arians, took possession of Italy. Gibbon says:--
"Odoacer was the first Barbarian who reigned in Italy, over a people who had once asserted their just superiority above the rest of mankind. . . Like the rest of the Barbarians, he had been instructed in the Arian heresy; but he revered the monastic and episcopal characters; and the silence of the Catholics attest the toleration which they enjoyed." Decline and Fall, chap. 36, paragraphs 32, 33. In this respect the conduct of the Barbarian heretics was in strong contrast with that of the orthodox or Catholics, for these never failed to persecute the Arians when they had the power. And the spirit of persecution was so strongly entrenched in them that when they could not persecute those whom they consigned to perdition as heretics, they fell to quarreling among themselves. In them worldly ambition seemed to have entirely supplanted the spirit of Christianity. Of the time of Odoacer, Gibbon, in the same place, further says:
"The peace of the city required the interposition of his prefect Basilius in the choice of a Roman pontiff." That is to say, that the election of a pope was accompanied with such party strifes that the authority of the Barbarian heretic was necessary to preserve the peace of the city, and to prevent bloodshed; for such an election was sometimes the occasion of fatal quarrels. It was also customary to purchase votes in the selection of the pope, and the Arian king was obliged to use his authority to put an end to this scandal.
Upon the death of Pope Simplicius, in 483, the people and clergy assembled for the election of a new bishop for Rome. Then occurred that interference of Odoacer of which Gibbon spoke, as quoted above. Bower's History of the Popes says:--
"But while they were assembled for that purpose, in the Church of St. Peter, Basilius the prefectus pretoria, and lieutenant of King Odoacer, entered the assembly; and, addressing the electors, that is, the people, the senate, and the clergy, expressed great surprise at their taking upon them to appoint a successor to the deceased bishop, without him; adding, that it belonged to the civil magistrate to prevent the disturbances that might arise on such occasions, lest from the church they should pass to the State. . . . He then declared all they had done without him to be null; and ordered the election to be begun anew, though it was already near concluded. But, in the first place, he caused a law to be read in the name of Odoacer, forbidding the bishop, who should now be chosen, as well as his successors, to alienate any inheritance, possessions, or sacred utensils, that now belonged, or should for the future belong, to the church; declaring all such bargains void; anathematizing both the seller and the buyer; and obliging the latter, and his heirs, to restore to the church all lands and tenements thus purchased, how long soever they may have possessed them."
To be continued… (There are many proofs to enable a sure word of prophecy to be comprehended.)
No comments:
Post a Comment